selfless
Loading your saved state.
selfless
Describing an action or a person who acts without regard for their own advantage or needs and puts the well-being of others first; altruistic.
Ihre selbstlose Hilfe für die Bedürftigen der Gemeinde wird von allen bewundert.
Her selfless help for the needy in the community is admired by everyone.
The adjective is made up of 'selbst' (self) and the suffix '-los' (-less). The suffix '-los' means 'without'. 'Selbstlos' (selfless) therefore describes a person or action carried out 'without thinking of oneself'.
Er ist bekannt für sein selbstloses Engagement für Tiere.
He is known for his selfless commitment to animals.
'Selbstlos' (selfless) often describes an action, a quality, or a person. Typical combinations are 'selbstlose Hilfe' (selfless help), 'selbstloses Handeln' (selfless action), 'ein selbstloser Mensch' (a selfless person), or 'aus selbstlosen Motiven' (for selfless motives).
Die Feuerwehrleute zeigten bei dem Einsatz selbstlosen Mut.
The firefighters showed selfless courage during the operation.
The word 'selbstlos' (selfless) has a strongly positive meaning. It is used to express admiration or respect for a person's behavior.
Sie pflegte ihre kranke Mutter über Jahre hinweg aufopferungsvoll und selbstlos.
She cared for her sick mother for years with devotion and selflessness.
selfish
'egoistisch' and 'selbstlos' are opposites. 'egoistisch' describes someone who mainly thinks about their own advantage and pays little attention to others. 'selbstlos' describes someone who puts other people's needs above their own advantage. 'egoistisch' has a negative meaning, while 'selbstlos' is usually positive. So the difference is: with 'egoistisch', the self is at the center; with 'selbstlos', the well-being of others is.
Die Nachbarin half selbstlos, obwohl sie selbst wenig Zeit hatte.
The neighbor helped selflessly, even though she had little time herself.
Am Morgen war es egoistisch von Max, das Bad so lange zu blockieren.
In the morning, it was selfish of Max to block the bathroom for so long.